


all they want

by mysweetbologna



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Fa la la la, Post-Canon, Royai - Freeform, christmas in central city, fma, fmab - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-30 04:06:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16757356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysweetbologna/pseuds/mysweetbologna
Summary: Roy Mustang is looking forward to spending Christmas on his own, but that plan is dashed when Riza Hawkeye invites herself to stay over for a few days. All he wanted for Christmas was a break and some peace and quiet. All Riza wanted was to see her friend in East City. Now they want something else entirely.





	all they want

Roy Mustang was a complicated man with simple tastes. He enjoyed the heat of a mug of rich hot chocolate in his hands, a fleece blanket over his lap, and the crackle of a fire in a hearth while the winter wind whistled outside his townhouse. Winter in Central City had been mild for the most part, up until the week of Christmas when the brittle cold, wind, and snow kept Roy cooped up inside. With Christmas Eve the next day and no plans to leave, Roy felt a sense of peace at the thought of three whole days to himself.

He dozed off and on in his armchair, waking every so often to stoke the fire. It was a loud knocking at his front door that woke Roy from his third nap of the day. Wrapping the blanket around his shoulders and holding it tight, Roy crossed the sitting room and opened the door. The blustering wind blew snow into the room as Roy ushered none other than Riza Hawkeye and her dog, Black Hayate, inside to take shelter from the cold. He watched in silent surprise as his lieutenant brushed the snow from her hair and hung her coat up. She asked for the whole week off and Roy had granted her request without a second thought, glad that she was taking time off to take care of herself. Roy had hoped that Hawkeye would use that time off to go visit Rebecca in East City. The puddles of melting snow proved that Hawkeye was just as married to Central City as he was, that there was no escaping the mountains of work that were still to be done.

Roy couldn’t help but wonder what brought Hawkeye to his home the day before Christmas Eve in the middle of a snow storm as he led her into his kitchen. Hopefully it wasn’t an emergency, or work of any kind; he could use the break after the least seven months of rebuilding what the former Fuhrer King Bradley had so craftily destroyed during his reign. Couldn’t emergencies wait until after his four days of leave? Realistically, Roy knew the answer was no, that there was truly no rest for him, being the new leader of Amestris.

“I’m surprised to see you here, Lieutenant.” Roy ladled hot chocolate into a second mug and offered it to Hawkeye, who accepted it with a cursory dip of her head. She took a seat at the small dining table, wrapping her hands around the steaming mug. Black Hayate settled at her feet, crossing his paws one over the other, chin resting atop them both. The domesticity of it all struck Roy as funny. In all their years together, Roy never imagined that he would enjoy the sight of Hawkeye in home as much as he did in that moment. He’d never admit it, but having Hawkeye siting across from him at his dining table kindled the flame of something deeper.

“Sorry to barge in, sir.” Her cheeks were rosy and the tip of her nose chapped from cold. “Just checking in to make sure you were doing alright.”

“You could have called, Hawkeye.” Roy held her gaze, felt a twinge at the widening of her eyes and the sudden, sharp intake of breath. “Not that I don’t appreciate the house call. It’s almost Christmas. I’d expect you to be with friends.”

“Rebecca is visiting her family and I didn’t want to burden anyone else.”

“So you thought you would come see me?” It was damned impossible to tease the lieutenant, she was so unflappable, but that didn’t stop Roy from taking the opportunity when it presented itself.

“I recall you saying, sir, that you were spending Christmas in Central City this year, alone. Was I wrong?” A faint, familiar smirk tugged at her lips as Hawkeye looked past him and down the dimly lit hallway that led to the bedrooms. Roy rolled his eyes, waving a hand as if to brush off the idea that he would bring just any woman into his private residence. Black Hayate snored softly under the table while they sipped the hot chocolate from their mugs. Hawkeye set her mug down and ran her finger around the rim of it, a nervous habit that Roy knew quite well. “In truth, sir, I didn’t want to spend Christmas alone.”

Hawkeye’s admission was intriguing and unexpected. While they had known each other for over a decade, been to hell and back twice over together, never once had it crossed Roy’s mind that maybe his loyal adjutant and, if he was completely honest, dearest friend, might feel just as lonely as he did. Roy felt unease bind itself to the fibers of his being as that thought occupied his mind. Here they were, two saviors of Amestris, lonely while sitting at the same table.

“I don’t have much in the way of Christmas decorations since it’s just me here, but you’re welcome to stay.”

“I’d like that. And I’m sorry, for just showing up and inviting myself like this.”

“It’s fine, Hawkeye. I don’t mind having company.” And in fact, Roy was being completely truthful. The time consuming work of being a colonel and his part in saving Amestris from sure doom was but a drop in the bucket that was holding the position of interim leader of Amestris. It was a good day when he crawled into bed before one in the morning, only to crawl right back out five hours later. Roy looked forward to the solitude of his holiday vacation and his chance to take advantage of the private townhouse in a gated neighborhood of Central City. In spite of all that, Roy was genuinely happy to have company. Though, it was difficult for him to admit to himself that it was solely because it was Hawkeye; had it been anyone else, say Havoc or even Fuery, Roy would probably have been quite livid and irritable.

“If you say so, sir.”

“You don’t have to call me sir, Hawkeye. You’re off duty and we’re old friends at that.” Old friends, comrades, rebels, and maybe one day, when all was said and done and Roy stoned up, something more. They had come such a long way since his apprenticeship with Hawkeye’s father, when he was but a gangly, overconfident teen and Hawkeye was… well Hawkeye: cool, collected, serious, all traits that Roy once found intimidating, but now ones that he appreciated and found endearing. Something more than all that though, it was within his grasp, a fingertip’s breadth away. It was a tenuous dance they performed, Roy leading them closer and closer to the finale, where with a dip he might finally say something.

Roy knew that Hawkeye felt the way he did from countless acts of loyalty over the years, not just because he was her commanding officer, but because of a deeper devotion that he was eternally thankful for.

“Alright then, Mustang.” Hawkeye pinned him with a knowing look, like every thought was written in plain script across his face. “I hope you’re up for a game of chess. It has been awhile since I’ve had the chance to hand your ass to you.”

“Those are fighting words, Hawkeye. You sure you’re ready to lose?”

“You’re the only loser I see, Mustang.” Roy scoffed at Hawkeye’s prodding and was rewarded with a wink and soft laughter as she left him sitting in the kitchen clutching his empty mug. Black Hayate poked his head out from under the table, head cocked to one side.

“Your master is a tough one. It’s a good thing-”

“Come on, Mustang. Quit dawdling!”

Roy lost three games in a row to Hawkeye, who was not above gloating and rubbing it in his face after his second loss of the night. With a satisfactory, and largely smug, smile, Hawkeye leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms behind her.

“I hope this taught you a little humility, Mustang,” teased Hawkeye. Roy knew from the start that he wasn’t going to win, not when there were so many distractions to occupy him, namely the way Hawkeye looked so relaxed, with the curtain of her hair over one shoulder a close second. Roy found himself wishing that he could see her like this every day.

“It’ll take more than a few games of chess to teach me that lesson, though I do know when to admit defeat. Something to drink?” Roy gestured at the liquor cabinet that housed all of the fine and aged liquor he procured over the years. There was a vintage wine he had wanted to break out for a while now, but could never find a reason. Hawkeye yawned, rising from her chair.

“No thank you. I think I’ll head to bed. Winning took a lot out of me.”

“You think you’re so funny, don’t you Hawkeye?”

“Only when I’m around you Mustang.” Roy took note of the layered meaning, storing that away for later when he lay in his own bed, unable to sleep. She paused in the doorway, turning to look at him over her shoulder. There was something in her eyes that held Roy in a trance, unable to tear himself away. He couldn’t remember a time when she looked at him that way. “Good night, Roy.”

Black Hayate followed Hawkeye down the hallway and into the spare bedroom. Roy waited for the soft click of the door closing before sliding down in his chair, throwing an arm over his eyes. He was no stranger to trouble, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t staring it in the face now that Riza Hawkeye was staying in his home. There was more trouble, and definitely fun, to be had with the lieutenant.


End file.
